Pro Honda LCR rider Diogo Moreira finished 2nd in Saturday’s Sprint at Motegi.

After qualifying 9th on the grid, Moreira made a strong start and immediately moved into the top four.

As the laps went by, he defended his 4th position and began recovering tenths as he fought his way towards the podium.

The Brazilian crossed the line in 4th, but after two riders ahead of him were penalised for exceeding the track limits, Moreira was promoted to 2nd place and claimed a spot on the podium.

This is Moreira’s first MotoGP podium after a strong weekend on Japanese soil, and the 2nd Sprint podium for the Honda LCR Team (Alex Rins, 2nd place, Texas 2023). The team’s most recent MotoGP podium came at Silverstone in 2025, when Johann Zarco finished 2nd.

Diogo Moreira 2nd

“I know it’s not ‘a real result’. Today I was lucky, but anyway, I’m super happy! A podium in MotoGP feels amazing. I felt really good on the bike today, and I gave it everything, following the flow of the track. On the last lap, I was there; with one more lap, I could have taken it. Then after crossing the line, I realised I was on the podium. For me, for the team and for Honda, this is very important. Thanks to everybody who made it possible!”